Boring Hike, Swell Brunch
Monday, October 20th, 2025: Chiricahuas, Hikes, Snowshed, Southeast Arizona.
I’d been in pain all night long, and was starting the day in pain. Meds hadn’t worked, which rarely but occasionally happens. I was determined to at least try to go hiking, but last Sunday’s hike had been both frustratingly short and difficult, and lunch had sucked. So today I wanted to do something longer and easier, with a more reliable midday meal. That left me only one choice – a trail so boring I’d avoided it while hiking every trail around it multiple times for the past seven years.
I mean, I would never complain about walking through beautiful, pristine Southwest habitat, with dramatic cliffs rising above the trees. But I do like variety and vistas, and this trail is a mostly level stroll through oak woodland that tends to block the views.
We’re still having unseasonably warm weather – apocalyptically so – and where I was going it was forecast to reach 80. Normal temps for this time of year would range from the 50s to the 60s.
Brunch – trout and eggs, with salad and sweet potato fries – was awesome as usual. If you wonder why I make a point of these weekly road trip meals, we lost our good restaurants during COVID – so since 2020, I only eat out while traveling.
I’ve actually done the first mile of this hike three or four times, on the way to the crest of the range. It starts in the canyon bottom and climbs past somebody’s luxury retreat and a series of gullies and ravines to an alluvial bench lined with the oak woodland.
Past the junction, the new trail hadn’t seen heavy use, but I was surprised to find a mountain bike track – the first I remember seeing anywhere in this canyon. It makes sense since this trail is the only one that’s easy enough for bikes.
The alluvial bench narrows as the trail trends westward, until you can glimpse the ravine through which the creek runs, and the gravel road on the other side that serves picnic areas and a campground. I’d been in denial of the fact that I would hear traffic, and kids yelling – more downsides of this hike.
At one point I could see kids down below playing in the creek, and as I turned back to face the trail ahead, a hawk flew past me through the trees, only about eight feet above the ground and a dozen feet from me. A little later I came upon a whitetail doe – the first whitetail I’d seen in a long time.
Approaching the trail junction where I would turn back, the trail got gnarlier, descending into and climbing steeply out of one deep ravine after another – finally, some variety!
Despite being in pain, I’d started the day, and the hike, without meds – hoping the hike would loosen up the joints and get some endorphins flowing. But after three hours of hiking, I was still hurting pretty bad when I returned to the Sidekick, and immediately popped some pills.
Afternoons, with low angle sunlight, are great times to discover new aspects of the landscape. On the way out of the mountains I noticed an area across the highway that would make for promising hiking – if it’s not blocked by private land.
Then, getting ready to pass – for the umpteenth time – the granite spire I’d tried to climb earlier this year, I noticed for the first time a gully up the southwest side that might actually be climbable. Doing 65 on the empty highway, I grabbed my camera and took a sloppy zoom photo of the spire out my side window.
I’ve scoured the internet unsuccessfully for info on this peak, and despite the fact that peakbaggers are competitive and anal about keeping and sharing records of their accomplishments, it appears that nobody has ever claimed an ascent. Examining the photo back home, it does look like that gully might be a route to the top – for somebody with functional knees.
